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= THE GLASS FACTORY. =
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@#&*=:-:.. SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ..:-:=*&#@
#&*=:-:... BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ...:-:=*&#
&*=:-:.... THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ....:-:=*&
*=:-:..... NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES .....:-:=*
=:-:...... SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ......:-:=
:-:....... STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. .......:-:
=:-:...... FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ......:-:=
*=:-:..... THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, .....:-:=*
&*=:-:.... AND A GIFT SHOP. ....:-:=*&
#&*=:-:... ...:-:=*&#
@#&*=:-:.. THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ..:-:=*&#@
#@#&*=:-:. MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE .:-:=*&#@#
@#&*=:-:.. CONSIDERED POOR. ..:-:=*&#@
#&*=:-:... ...:-:=*&#
&*=:-:.... THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ....:-:=*&
*=:-:..... DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN .....:-:=*
=:-:...... YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ......:-:=
:-:....... REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. .......:-:
=:-:...... CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ......:-:=
*=:-:..... LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE .....:-:=*
&*=:-:.... PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ....:-:=*&
#&*=:-:... SOME ARE SHATTERED. ...:-:=*&#
@#&*=:-:.. ..:-:=*&#@
#@#&*=:-:. THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S .:-:=*&#@#
@#&*=:-:.. A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ..:-:=*&#@
#&*=:-:... GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ...:-:=*&#
&*=:-:.... VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ....:-:=*&
*=:-:..... TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF .....:-:=*
=:-:...... GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ......:-:=
:-:....... .......:-:
=:-:...... == ......:-:=
*=:-:..... == == .....:-:=*
&*=:-:.... ------- = = ------- ....:-:=*&
#&*=:-:... == == ...:-:=*&#
@#&*=:-:.. == ..:-:=*&#@
#@#&*=:-:. .:-:=*&#@#
@#&*=:-:.. I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ..:-:=*&#@
#&*=:-:... OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ...:-:=*&#
&*=:-:.... OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ....:-:=*&
*=:-:..... DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS .....:-:=*
=:-:...... BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ......:-:=
:-:....... DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO .......:-:
=:-:...... ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ......:-:=
*=:-:..... LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK .....:-:=*
&*=:-:.... WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ....:-:=*&
#&*=:-:... ...:-:=*&#
@#&*=:-:.. HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ..:-:=*&#@
#@#&*=:-:. HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. .:-:=*&#@#
@#&*=:-:.. IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ..:-:=*&#@
#&*=:-:... INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ...:-:=*&#
&*=:-:.... IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ....:-:=*&
*=:-:..... WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS .....:-:=*
=:-:...... OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ......:-:=
:-:....... .......:-:
=:-:...... THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ......:-:=
*=:-:..... HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT .....:-:=*
&*=:-:.... LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ....:-:=*&
#&*=:-:... TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ...:-:=*&#
@#&*=:-:.. A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ..:-:=*&#@
#@#&*=:-:. STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE .:-:=*&#@#
@#&*=:-:.. BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ..:-:=*&#@
#&*=:-:... ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ...:-:=*&#
&*=:-:.... LIT FROM BEHIND. ....:-:=*&
*=:-:..... .....:-:=*
=:-:...... I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ......:-:=
:-:....... THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE .......:-:
=:-:...... WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ......:-:=
*=:-:..... LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN .....:-:=*
&*=:-:.... ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ....:-:=*&
#&*=:-:... AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ...:-:=*&#
@#&*=:-:.. OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ..:-:=*&#@
#@#&*=:-:. .:-:=*&#@#
@#&*=:-:.. == ..:-:=*&#@
#&*=:-:... == == ...:-:=*&#
&*=:-:.... ------- = = ------- ....:-:=*&
*=:-:..... == == .....:-:=*
=:-:...... == ......:-:=
:-:....... .......:-:
=:-:...... MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ......:-:=
*=:-:..... STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET .....:-:=*
&*=:-:.... IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ....:-:=*&
#&*=:-:... IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ...:-:=*&#
@#&*=:-:.. IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ..:-:=*&#@
#@#&*=:-:. DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY .:-:=*&#@#
@#&*=:-:.. CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ..:-:=*&#@
#&*=:-:... SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ...:-:=*&#
&*=:-:.... PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ....:-:=*&
*=:-:..... .....:-:=*
=:-:...... THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ......:-:=
:-:....... THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE .......:-:
=:-:...... THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ......:-:=
*=:-:..... A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS .....:-:=*
&*=:-:.... SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ....:-:=*&
#&*=:-:... HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ...:-:=*&#
@#&*=:-:.. SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ..:-:=*&#@
#@#&*=:-:. THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. .:-:=*&#@#
@#&*=:-:.. IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ..:-:=*&#@
#&*=:-:... CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ...:-:=*&#
&*=:-:.... ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ....:-:=*&
*=:-:..... .....:-:=*
=:-:...... THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ......:-:=
:-:....... WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND .......:-:
=:-:...... CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ......:-:=
*=:-:..... BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT .....:-:=*
&*=:-:.... FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ....:-:=*&
#&*=:-:... BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ...:-:=*&#
@#&*=:-:.. DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ..:-:=*&#@
#@#&*=:-:. TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS .:-:=*&#@#
@#&*=:-:.. DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ..:-:=*&#@
#&*=:-:... FLOOR. ...:-:=*&#
&*=:-:.... ....:-:=*&
*=:-:..... HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO .....:-:=*
=:-:...... KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ......:-:=
:-:....... LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, .......:-:
=:-:...... WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ......:-:=
*=:-:..... PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF .....:-:=*
&*=:-:.... HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ....:-:=*&
#&*=:-:... THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ...:-:=*&#
@#&*=:-:.. ..:-:=*&#@
#@#&*=:-:. I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM .:-:=*&#@#
@#&*=:-:.. WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ..:-:=*&#@
#&*=:-:... MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ...:-:=*&#
&*=:-:.... WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ....:-:=*&
*=:-:..... THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT .....:-:=*
=:-:...... VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ......:-:=
:-:....... BECOME STILL. .......:-:
=:-:...... ......:-:=
*=:-:..... == .....:-:=*
&*=:-:.... == == ....:-:=*&
#&*=:-:... ------- = = ------- ...:-:=*&#
@#&*=:-:.. == == ..:-:=*&#@
#@#&*=:-:. == .:-:=*&#@#
@#&*=:-:.. ..:-:=*&#@
#&*=:-:... A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ...:-:=*&#
&*=:-:.... AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ....:-:=*&
*=:-:..... BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE .....:-:=*
=:-:...... STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ......:-:=
:-:....... CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST .......:-:
=:-:...... FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ......:-:=
*=:-:..... SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, .....:-:=*
&*=:-:.... AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ....:-:=*&
#&*=:-:... ...:-:=*&#
@#&*=:-:.. SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ..:-:=*&#@
#@#&*=:-:. THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK .:-:=*&#@#
@#&*=:-:.. GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ..:-:=*&#@
#&*=:-:... I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ...:-:=*&#
&*=:-:.... THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ....:-:=*&
*=:-:..... .....:-:=*
=:-:...... I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ......:-:=
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